Retail in 2026: AI
51% of shoppers are open to AI handling the entire shopping process
AI is reshaping how people shop and how retailers run their businesses. Many shoppers are even open to letting AI handle the entire shopping journey. Although transparency, accountability, and control remain essential. Retailers see the same momentum. Most are preparing for autonomous AI-driven journeys within a year. And many are expanding AI into personalization, forecasting, operations, and service to stay ahead of shopper expectations.
Finding 01
Shoppers value AI for choice and convenience
AI assistants are valued for their ability to save time and sort through overwhelming online choices. The adoption is so far being driven by men, who are twice as likely to have used AI to shop than women. But, regardless of gender, this shift towards AI shopping is raising expectations for retailers as well. Shoppers want brands to use AI to deliver more relevant recommendations and a more personalized experience from the start. What began as a way to simplify research is becoming a natural part of how people shop.
Finding 02
Shoppers are happy to hand over control, up to a point
Shoppers are willing to hand over the research and even the purchase of items to AI. But trust has limits. They still want reassurance that AI is making the right choices on their behalf and that someone is accountable if things go wrong. They also worry about loss of control, mistakes, and how their data is handled.
Finding 03
Retailers embrace agentic commerce with caution
Agentic commerce is firmly on the retail roadmap. With most retailers preparing to launch fully autonomous shopping journeys within a year, they clearly see real potential. But they have questions. How will it integrate with other systems? What about data security? And when can they expect to see ROI?
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